


Beautiful Contradictions

by roso7



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Awesome Burt Hummel, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Sick Blaine Anderson, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25594039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roso7/pseuds/roso7
Summary: Still wallowing in his post breakup depression, a feverish Blaine Anderson locks himself out of his house in the bitter January winter. The sick boy must now rely on a support system that he has been wary of leaning on in order to feel warm again. Blaine x Sam / Blam - Takes place late January after the Klaine breakup.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson & Sam Evans, Blaine Anderson/Sam Evans
Comments: 11
Kudos: 88





	1. Fever

Four more classes. He only had four more classes to get through before he got to crawl back into his bed again.

Blaine gazed into his locker trying to find his history textbook but it seemed hopeless - all of the text on books just seemed to slide around their spines. He pressed his locker door to the side of his flushed cheek. The cool metal gave his warm face some relief as he tried to convince his eyes to focus. He hadn't noticed how much time has gone by until the school bell let out an unrelenting screech. Blaine's head threatened to split open as he squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. He then made the decision, then and there, to give up that attempt to make it through those last four classes.

After waiting for the hallway to clear out a little, Blaine carefully closed his locker and made his way to the main office.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but my parents gave permission to let me sign myself out", he croaked.

After a few grimaces from the office staff, Blaine plucked a pen out of the metal cup on the desk and signed his name. The secretary pulled the paper back toward her and glanced at the signature.

"Get some rest, Mr. Anderson"

Blaine offered a pinched smile and a muttered 'thank you'. He adjusted his messenger bag and made his way out to his car.

...

Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, Blaine's vision swam. He was starting to tremble and he fiercely hoped that he would make it home.

A honking car brought him out of his panic as he realized that he was actually slowing down toward a green light and veering in and out of the lane he was in. He decided then to pull over for a bit.

'This actually might not be a bad idea', Blaine thought as he realized he was pulling into a drug/convenience store parking lot. He idled in the parking space for a bit as he needed to collect himself. He wrapped his scarf around his sweaty neck fearing the bitterness outside. He forced some water down his throat and took a deep, shaky breath.

Blaine began to make his way around the aisles. He had clumsily threw some gatorade, tissues, Tylenol, NyQuil and lozenges into his basket. Before checking out he decided that despite how chilled he was now, his throat would thank him later for some ice cream. Similar to the textbook fiasco, Blaine was having trouble reading the labels on the rows of pints before him. Biting his lip, he was unaware of how severely he zoned out, but he was all unaware that he was being watched.

Meanwhile, Burt Hummel, stopped at the drugstore to pick up some prescriptions. He went over to the cooler to grab a drink when he noticed the recognizable combination of a tightly knotted scarf, a peacoat, and gelled black hair that was quintessentially Blaine Anderson - his sons ex boyfriend. He didn't mean to stare, but he was curious how the boy was doing. In the time that he has known him, Burt did feel a paternal bond with the kid. He wanted to know the Blaine was okay almost as much as he wanted to make sure Kurt was. Yes, Burt knew the whole story, and yes it was his job to protect Kurt at all costs, but he knew that it was a just messy mistake. He knew Blaine wasn't evil - quite the opposite really. He especially felt bad now because it was coming apparent that Blaine was, in fact, still not taking it well. It has been a few months now since the breakup, but according to inside information from Finn, Blaine was still feeling rough. His eyes seemed bright and bit red and his curls were beginning to poke out of that gel fortress on his head - was was that ice cream he was picking out? Poor guy.

Burt debated walking over to the freezer to say 'hello', but before he could debate any longer he noticed the teenager swaying a bit from one side to another. He then glanced over at the contents of his basket. Medicine, tissues? Now that he thought about it, it was the middle of the afternoon on a school day. Oh man, Blaine wasn't sad - he was sick. Well I mean, he could also be sad - but he was definitely sick.

Blaine had snapped out of his haze long enough to settle on a flavor and pull it out of the freezer. He turned to the left and locked eyes with a familiar man in a baseball cap. He thought he felt someone watching him, but he chalked it up to feverish paranoia.

"Blaine, how are you, bud?"

Blaine's heart dropped into his stomach. He hadn't seen or talked to Burt since - well, y'know. He immediately choked up a bit. He missed Burt. A lot. His parents were rarely home and when they were they weren't exactly the warmest. Every time Blaine was over at the Hummel/Hudson residence he was overwhelmed with the warmth. 'Warmth I could use right now actually' Blaine thought as he suppressed another shiver.

"Mr. Hummel, hello!"

Blaine awkwardly put his hand out for Burt to shake. Blaine was desperately trying to gauge how Mr. Hummel was feeling in this moment. He was unsure if the guy hated him, was unaware of what Blaine had done, or if he missed him as much as he missed Burt. Blaine could already tell that he was feeling one thing - pity. He must of looked as bad as he felt.

"Blaine, it's really good to see you. I'm sorry I didn't reach out over the holidays."

"Oh, please, no Mr. Hummel, don't worry about that. I'm actually just really happy that you would want to even speak to me again."

The boy made misty eye contact with the man in front of him. But offered a sympathetic smile.

"Blaine, in all seriousness, I feel like things can work out again. Not to make any judgements, but you and Kurt had something special."

Blaine's eyes now were threatening to spill over. He wanted to drop his basket and run out of the store. He wanted to curl up and cry, and he wanted to feel better.

"Never mind that, I'm sorry - I shouldn't have brought that up - its okay if it doesn't work out again! Um, either way its really none of my business. But, um, what is my business, is that… I'm still here for you. Really, if you need anything."

Burt gestured to Blaine's basket.

"Feel better, okay? You still have my number?"

Of course he did.

"Yes, thank you. This meant a lot to me- seriously"

Burt nodded and went to pay for his items.

Blaine sniffled and wiped at his eyes. He walked in the opposite direction of Burt, wanting to collect himself again before going to the checkout. When the coast was clear, clumsily placed his items on the counter, ignoring the blatant eye roll from the clerk. He fumbled with his debit card and shakily entered his information in the reader. As soon as he read the word 'approved', he hastily grabbed his bag and headed back out into the cold.

Burt was still in the parking lot, analyzing his lottery scratch-off that he just finished, well y'know, scratching off.

No victory.

He huffed and turned the key on his ignition. As he looked up through the window, he saw Blaine exit the store with his purchases. Poor kid looked even worse now, his eyes more red and puffy. "Goddamn it, Burt. Why did you have to make the poor kid cry in the middle of a store. Especially when he is sick. You should have just left him alone", Burt thought to himself as he watched Blaine haphazardly get into his car. The boy sat there for a minute, rubbing at his temples and wiping his eyes again. He saw him take a deep breath and starting his engine.

Burt wanted to give the kid some space but he also didn't really trust Blaine's ability to drive right now. He was obviously feverish, and now he was emotional. It wouldn't hurt to slyly follow him home, right? It wasn't creepy - He just wanted him to make it home safe. He decided that he had to do it just for peace of mind, but made sure to stay about two car lengths behind him so Blaine, wouldn't notice.

Burt had been to Blaine's part of town only once before. It was definitely a richer part than where the Hummel/Hudson's currently resided. Neatly manicured lawns and quaint cul-de-sac's currently inhabited Burt's peripherals, but his focus remained on the slightly swaying car in front of him.

That was the case, that is until Blaine made a sharp left with no blinker to signal. Burt thought this area looked familiar, the kid must have almost missed his street. By the time Burt was able to make the left, Blaine's car was no where to be found, and 'Wow, all of these big houses kind of look the same', he thought as he drove deeper and deeper into the development, passing the same landmarks over and over again. 'Great, now he isn't going to see if Blaine could actually make it up his stairs, and he's not sure if he is going to make it out of here before dark.'


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Burt wanted to chuckle at the fact that the short sleeves of the t-shirt were neatly folded up as an attempt to look more presentable, Blaine was still Blaine."

"Shit", Blaine muttered as he almost missed his turn. He was so focused on getting home that he didn't care about his blinker. All he cared about was his bed and that medicine that was in his passengers seat.

Parking the car in his driveway he was greeted by dark windows. 'Ah yes', his parents were away on a trip again. 'Was it a month this time? Two weeks? Honestly, who cares?' Blaine was actually relieved when they were gone. Now he could just be miserable and not have to worry about tiptoeing around them. He struggled up the stairs and weakly jammed his key into the door.

He was finally home.

Blaine shrugged off his jacket and slid off his shoes. He then reached into his pocket for his phone.

His phone. Where was his phone?

He frantically patted on all of his pockets and looked in his coat as well. He groaned as he realized he must have left it in the car. He huffed as he decided that he should just run out and get it now before he got too comfortable. Disgruntled, he neglected putting his shoes and coat back on, he exited the front door and padded down the stairs.

As if the day was already not going horribly for Blaine, the next series of events really twisted the knife.

Blaine instantly regretted his hasty exit as he heard his front door slam close. His world felt like it was literally going to fall apart when he realized he didn't have his keys. No car keys, 'shit'. No house key, 'Shit. Wait. Did the door?' He huffed back up the stairs and turned the knob.

Locked.

Blaine choked out a sob. He couldn't help it. He was freezing, he was sick, he was tired, he was locked out. He-

"Blaine?!"

"Mr. Hummel?"

Blaine sniffled, looking at the man who was now climbing the stairs.

"What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you got home okay - you seemed pretty out of it at the store. I lost you for a minute, I've been driving around."

"I-"

"Bud, you're out here with no coat or shoes on? Are you okay? Are your parents home?"

"I-"

"Don't try to lie to me, Blaine."

His voice was stern, and honestly, Blaine didn't know what else to do. He didn't know how to pick a lock and I'm sure the home security system wouldn't want him to give it a try anyway. He also wasn't going to call his parents - even if his stupid phone wasn't locked in his car. He needed to give in.

"I really don't want to be a burden-"

"But?"

"But, my parents are away and I'm locked out of my house and my car and I don't have my phone, and I'm so sorry Mr. Hummel, you shouldn't be so nice to me-"

Blaine was crying now.

"But?"

"But, I really don't feel well", he sobbed.

Burt pulled the shivering boy into an embrace - feeling the heat coming off of his his skin. He started to lead him down the stairs toward the car.

"Come on, let's get you warm. You're staying at mine until your parents come back" He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around Blaine. It smelled of motor oil and…

Home.

...

This was hell.

Blaine was in a car with his ex's father. He was sick. He was vulnerable. He didn't have coat or shoes in the middle of winter. He didn't have tissues, or medicine, or ice cream. He didn't have his wallet, his keys, or his phone. And now, he was now going to be a burden on Burt and his family because his parents weren't coming back any time soon.

He wanted to break this awkward silence that filled the car. Blaine noticed that Burt had beads of sweat forming on his now cap-less forehead. He looked to see that the heat was on full blast. Blaine cleared his throat.

"You don't have to suffocate yourself for me - I'm much better with your coat. Thank you by the way."

Burt chuckled and lowered the heat.

"Okay good, I felt like a Thanksgiving turkey"

They both smiled.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

...

It was around three when they arrived to the all-familiar house that Blaine missed so much.

"Shit, do you want me to run in and get you shoes? I don't think you're gonna want to wear my boots."

"No, I'll manage, thank you."

They shuffled into the house, Burt supporting most of Blaine's weight.

"So, Carole will be home in a bit, Finn too."

Burt noticed how Blaine, stiffened. He had forgotten about Finn.

"It'll be fine, bud. You gotta know you're still family."

Blaine wasn't sure he could do this.

"I'm sure Kurt left some of his things in his room if you want to find something more comfortable?"

"Mr. Hummel-"

"Yeah, bud?"

"I'm really sorry if this is weird or overstepping - but would you have anything I could borrow? I really don't want to go though Kurts things right now."

Burt was the one who stiffened this time, how could he be so insensitive? Of course Blaine didn't want to be in Kurts room right now, never mind wearing his clothes.

"It will be a weird fit, but I'm sure I can find something. No problem at all."

Burt rummaged through his dresser drawers holding his phone to his ear with his shoulder. When Carole answered the call he explained the rather interesting position he was in, but Carole was more interested in Blaine's condition and how she was going to help. He smiled at her no questions asked kind of generosity. After settling for for an oversized t-shirt with a faded logo on it and a pair of Carole's sweatpants, Burt made it back to the living room. He handed Blaine the clothes and prompted him to get cleaned up in the bathroom. Burt then began scouring the house for supplies since Blaine's newly purchased ones were locked in his house. He found Tylenol and tissues quite easily, buy he didn't have any cough drops so he settled for tea and honey instead. He found a few cans of soup in the closet and crackers, and no gatorade but he had water for now. He'd have to made a grocery run tomorrow. He was thankful for Carole who he watched dote over many a sick teenager, so he actually felt pretty good at knowing what to do. Thats until he saw Blaine emerge from the hallway.

His hair was damp. Looks like Blaine had wet it and tried to brush his hair into submission with his fingers. To his chagrin, his curls were forming at the top of his head again. His eyes were still red and glassy and his cheeks were flushed pink. His thick brows furrowed into a pained expression as he shuffled into the kitchen. Burt wanted to chuckle at the fact that the short sleeves of the t-shirt were neatly folded up as an attempt to look more presentable, Blaine was still Blaine.

"Here is some water and Tylenol, the first order of business is getting that fever down."

As Blaine opened the bottle, he heard the door open. As unlikely as is was, he was flooded with anxiety at the possibility that Kurt could walk through that door. But, alas it was only Carole, who walked right up to Blaine and gave him a firm, yet gentle, hug. When she pulled back, she pressed her hand to Blaine's forehead and pursed her lips.

"Oh, honey."

She sighed.

"Its really good to see you - and those Tylenol are a good idea, take two."

Blaine's throat was starting to hurt even more and getting the pills down proved no easy feat, but he managed.

"It's really good to see you too, Carole. Thank you for being so accommodating, I really messed up today."

"Nonsense, we miss you. I'm not happy that you are so sick, but I am happy that you're here."

Carole really was happy to see Blaine. She worried about him. He was smart, talented, and polite. She wasn't sure if she was being selfish and neglecting Kurts feelings, but at this point, what was she going to do? Kick the poor kid out on the street?

"I have a feeling that you haven't eaten today, and I also have a feeling that you don't want to"

"You can read minds now?" Blaine croaked.

"How about we set you up on the couch and you try to just eat some crackers and drink some water for me?"

"Sounds like a deal, thank you."

He shuffled to the couch with a plate of crackers in hand. Carole laid a blanket over him and went to give him some space, when she felt a clammy hand grab ahold of her wrist. Blaine locked eyes with her and retracted his hand, unsure of why he had done what he just did.

"Its okay, Blaine, do you want me to stay with you?"

"No, it's okay, I'm sorry, I'm not sure why I did that."

Carole smiled and walked back toward the couch, taking a seat next to Blaine. She didn't look at him or make it weird, she simply turned on the TV and settled in. Just knowing that he was not alone, Blaine was finally able to relax. He let his aching muscles loosen up and soon his shivering subsided as he melted into the warmth of the blanket. His breathing evened out and he felt his head loll to one side. Before he knew it his irritated eyes fluttered clothes and he fell into a welcomed sleep.


	3. If Only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Blaine didn't remember swallowing glass, but that's sure what it felt like."

"No, mom, let him sleep in my bed - really."

"Finn, its fine, we'll take him to our bed and Burt is taking the couch and I'll sleep in Kurt's-"

"Mom stop, that's crazy. My room's on this floor, It'll be so much easier to get him there. Honestly I'd rather hang here on the couch anyway. And Sam loves Blaine - they're good friends, he'll be fine crashing here too when he gets home from swim practice."

Carole raised her hands in surrender. She made the point earlier to Finn and Burt that Blaine probably wouldn't want to wake up in Kurts bed right now.

Finn looked down at Blaine. Sure, he had a rocky start with the kid, but in true Blaine fashion, he ended up really charming him. Now that they were older, Finn really admired his quiet confidence. Finn wasn't privy to all that went on between him and Kurt, but right now that didn't matter, that confidence wasn't there at the moment. Blaine was vulnerable, and Finn just wanted to help.

He went back and forth in his mind about the best way to go about this - should he wake him up? Should he attempt to carry him? Would that weird?

Blaine looked so uncomfortable. Some of his dark curls had now stuck to his forehead with sweat, just above his tensely furrowed eyebrows. His thick lashes trembled at his eyes seemed to dart back and forth under his eyelids. Blaines neck was angled at a less than desirable angle as his head laid on the arm of the couch, forcing his shoulder into his cheek. His arms were wrapped around himself in a last attempt to be warm, his legs curled up to his chest.

It would be interesting, but Finn decided he would try to carry him. He didn't have to heart to wake Blaine up. He bent at the knees and shimmied his arms under the sleeping boys body. Finn was thankful for the size difference between them in this moment. Blaine let out a few grunts, but didn't open his eyes in the short journey to Finn's bedroom. The taller boy placed Blaine rather clumsily on the bed and let out a quiet sigh of relief when Blaine didn't stir. After kicking his trash can over toward the bed, just in case, Finn pulled his duvet over Blaine and tucked it around him. Satisfied with his work, Finn quietly clicked the door closed and made his way back to the couch.

...

Glass.

Blaine didn't remember swallowing glass, but that's sure what it felt like.

That wasn't the only thing that he didn't remember. Where was he? What time was it? What was that smell?

Body spray?

Blaine cautiously cracked his eyes open and was relieved that the room was dark. He blinked a few times to bring the red numbers on digital clock into focus.

2:19 AM

Squeezing his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and bracing his aching body, Blaine sat up on the bed. He looked around the room - he could barely make out some football trophies, blue walls, clothes on the floor -

Finn.

Blaine slid himself off the mattress and shakily stood on his feet, the darkness not helping him find his balance. His calf grazed something odd on the floor - a raft? No, an air mattress?

After a few more less than graceful strides toward the door, avoiding the obstacles on Finn's floor, he turned the knob.

Using the wall to steady him, Blaine made his way down the dim hallway. He really needed something to drink and hopefully put the fire out in his throat. He tried not to feel too awkward about raiding the Hummel's fridge. He could practically hear Burt and Carol excessively reassuring him that he was 'no bother'.

After settling on a glass of water (and two more Tylenol), Blaine decided to also put on a kettle.

Bending at the waist and placing his elbows on the counter, Blaine held his face in his hands. He grimaced at how sticky it felt. How gross he felt. Everything was out of place and his anxiety sat restlessly in his stomach. He brought his shoulders up toward his ears, tensing up his body and squeezed his eyes hard. His muscles ached, but it was nice to feel them stretch. Vibrant colors flashed in front of his closed eyes. Sparks of white and pink danced erratically, and Blaine seemed to fall into some kind of trance watching it.

The kettle began to trill and Blaine frantically dropped his shoulders and stood up straight. He has weirdly forgotten that it was going on 3 in the morning, and that kettles make noise.

He removed the kettle from the heat and let out a shaky sigh of relief when the whistling silenced.

Blaine heard a shuffle from the living room. He peered over the kitchen island to see Finn slumbering on the couch, his long legs hanging over the side. A pang of guilt hit Blaine as he realized that he had taken the taller boys bed.

Furrowing his brow, his eyes moved toward the rear of dimly lit room. Was there someone else sleeping in there? He barely made out the outline of an armchair, two long legs, and a mess of hair. Blonde hair?

Great.

Blaine had forgotten that Sam was still staying with the Hummel-Hudsons.

Sam's family had relocated to another state that Blaine couldn't bother to think of at this moment - there was always a lot of moving around with the Evans' due to Sam's fathers job, but Sam wanted to stay at McKinley and so Carole and Burt made it happen. Blaine wasn't sure of the entire agreement but he did know that Carole and Burt really were angels. This modestly sized house was becoming a real hostile with now both Blaine and Sam there. "Carole probably would let all of Lima stay there if they needed to", Blaine thought as he carefully poured the hot water over a teabag that he found in the cupboard. He thought back to his house - too big for his family's own good. Even when Cooper lived there, there were unneeded offices and spare bedrooms. Somehow there was always a business trip or conference keeping Blaine's parents from those home offices, and no one ever visited and needed to use those spare bedrooms. As a matter of fact, when Blaine was boarding at Dalton, that giant house sat empty most days.

Now his house could definitely be used as a hostile.

In any case, Blaine wished he could give his house to Burt and Carole. The walls would be decorated in family photos and sports memorabilia. Every houseguest would have their own room to sleep in. Carole would have a hot tub out back to relax after a long shift at work. Burt would have bigger garage to work on his car in. There would be family meals and holiday parties with alcohol and singing and laughing.

Or maybe he could give it to the Evans family. Sam and his brother and sister would teach have their own room to decorate how they like. The walls painted pink or blue or green and covered in drawings and school photos and tests with good grades. Kids roughhousing on the couch and jumping in the pool - and of course that included Sam and probably most of the Glee club.

If only.


	4. One Sided Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Something about the middle of the night makes me go all soft, dude, I don't know"

Blaine fiddled with the string of the teabag as he was consumed in his thoughts, he tried not to look up at the living room again. He knew he would start to double over with the guilt of displacing two boys from their room and comfortable sleeping arrangement, and maybe the guilt of a few other things as well. Despite his best efforts he still could feel the pit forming in his stomach. Waking them up would be worse, _right?_ Maybe if he stayed here tomorrow he could convince Carole that _he_ would be fine taking the couch.

Finally daring to take a sip of his tea, a noticeable wince each time he swallowed, Blaine allowed his gaze to drift up to Sam. It was hard not to be attracted to Sam - he was sweet and talented and hot. A deadly combination, really. Blaine smiled softly as he thought of his friend. And who knew that they would even end up being friends? After kind of a rough start when Sam first joined glee club, but Sam's infectious light and goofy personality made it hard for Blaine not to become charmed by him, and Blaine had been told that he was pretty charming himself. Maybe, he guessed, it was written in the stars. Sam also had a knack for knowing how to help Blaine when he needed it and Blaine could always return the favor.

He also knew that, despite the rumors, Sam wasn't dumb. He had to know that Blaine would gladly kiss him if given the go-ahead, and he was never weird about it. He never hesitated to throw and arm around Blaine's shoulder or press his head into Blaine's neck when they hugged. He was straight, but he didn't seem to be insecure or threatened by the idea of Blaine, or Kurt for that matter, being gay. He was just a good per-

Just then, as if Sam had heard his thoughts, the blonde boy shifted in the chair. Untwisting himself from his position, he planted he feet on the floor. Tossing his blanket to the side, he stood up.

Blaine froze - he was sure Sam knew that he was in the house, but he wasn't sure if he was ready for a conversation with him right now. Vulnerable Blaine was a different beast than normal Blaine. Maybe he could slip back into the dark hallway - Sam had to still be half asleep anyway, he wouldn't noti-

"Blaine?"

 _Shit._ Sam had already made it over to the kitchen in the time that Blaine had been panicking.

"Hhh…"

Blaine snapped his mouth shut.

He had no voice.

Maybe he didn't have to worry about that conversation after all.

"Aw man, your voice."

Sam's hair was adorably tousled, his bleary eyes still thick with sleep. He looked concerned as he reacted to Blaine's raspy response. He adjusted the waistband of his rather well fitting sweatpants as he stepped closer to sick boy.

Luckily, Blaine could blame his flushed cheeks on his fever.

Sam gently placed a hand on Blaine's forehead, causing the shorter boy to tremble a bit.

"Dude, I take care of my brother and sister all the time when they're sick, and I mean I'm no thermometer but you definitely still have a fever."

Blaine laughed breathlessly and gave a crooked smile. He then tried to mutter and apology about taking Finn's room from them. Sam pushed his finger against Blaine's mouth to stop him from trying to speak any further.

"No talking if you want your voice back, dude. Plus, I know that has to be painful."

Sam's hand slid down from Blaine's lips to the side of his throat. Blaine's lips parted in exasperation. He had to be dreaming right now - Sam couldn't be tenderly touching his neck at 3am. He grabbed Sam's wrist and laughed again, pulling it down off of his neck. Sam smiled down at him and opened the fridge, grabbing a drink for himself. They both ended up leaning against the counter in the dim kitchen light. Blaine found himself happy for the company.

"We missed you in glee today. No one knew where you went after fourth period. You didn't answer anyones texts, we thought you fell off the face of the Earth. Finn let us know you where here after he got home from McKinley."

He opened his mouth to speak again, but promptly shut in the fear of Sam touching his lips again. He thought back to his phone, still locked in his car, probably full of texts about his whereabouts.

"How did you even end up here? Burt wouldn't tell us. He figured you would be mad if he said anything."

Blaine couldn't imagine being mad at Burt.

"But, I don't think you could get mad at Burt."

Blaine chuckled, it quickly turning into a small cough, and took another sip of tea.

"I guess I should stop asking you questions if I told you not to speak, huh?"

Blaine looked up at him with glassy eyes, and raised his brow as if to say 'you think?'.

"Sorry, I just missed talking to you today, I guess."

Blaine nudged Sam's shoulder with his own.

Sam chuckled, "Something about the middle of the night makes me go all soft, dude, I don't know"

Looks like vulnerable Sam was a different beast as well. Then again, Sam was always pretty soft, at least with Blaine. It was actually one of his favorite things about the blonde - he was unafraid to be sweet with him.

Silence fell among the two as they finished up their drinks, just a cough here and there from Blaine. He still felt as though a hundred bricks where weighing down on his head and shoulders, but Sam did made him feel a little bit better, though - maybe there was only ninety-nine bricks now.

Blaine tossed his teabag in the trash and placed his mug in the sink. Sam did the same with his cup. Looking up at Sam with tired eyes, he gestured to the hallway that lead to Finn's room.

Sam smiled.

"Yeah, you should head back to sleep, you are definitely still warm, bro." Sam placed his palms on Blaine's cheeks and his fingers made their way into his curls. Blaine forgot about the state of his hair until this very moment - maybe he was sicker than he thought.

"Um, but don't you mind, can I crash on the air mattress next to you? I feel bad for Finn, but that chair is _killing_ me."

Blaine guiltily smiled and nodded, head still resting in still in Sam's hands. His vision started to swim again.

The two boys made their way down the hall into Finn's room.

"Nice sweatpants by the way" Sam joked as he poked Blaine's hip.

Blaine giggled hoarsely and whispered a barley audible ' _shut up_ ' as he swatted the other boy's hand away.

**...**

When they reached Finn's room, Blaine tried to convince Sam to let him take the air mattress. Barely illuminated by the light coming from the hallway, he used some wild hand gestures and facial expressions to convey his message. Seeing enough, Sam held Blaine's arms at his sides.

"Really, dude, it's cool, you obviously need the bed more that me, and the air mattress isn't that bad, really", Sam whispered enthusiastically, trying to be convincing.

To try and prove his point, Blaine stepped on the mattress, his foot met no resistance and hit the floor. It was obvious the mattress needed more air. He then looked at Sam with an almost smug expression.

"Point taken, but that means that you shouldn't be sleeping on there either", he poked Blaine's shoulder, "No worries, bro, really - I can go back to the chair. It's, like, almost time to get up for school anyway", he gestured at the clock, now reading 3:47 AM.

Blaine's smug expression softened and Sam gave a reassuring smile. As the taller boy started to turn toward the door away Blaine grabbed his wrist. It was almost like a reflex - much like it had been with Carole earlier in the evening.

"Aw, bro."

This time Blaine didn't pull his hand away.

"Honestly?" Sam looked side to side as if to make sure the coast was clear, "I don't like to be alone when I'm sick either." He stepped closer to Blaine, "let me crash with you - it'll be like we are a glee competition, sharing a bed and all? And, Carole really does make a great free breakfast in the morning. I mean, at least on the weekends."

Sam raised his eyebrows and tipped his head to the side, waiting for Blaine's answer.

"Also, my immune system rocks."

Blaine wanted to argue - well, actually, maybe he didn't _want_ to argue. Maybe he should just let things roll for the first time in his life.

Blaine nodded in agreement but didn't move his feet. He was in a mix of shock and exhaustion. Sam took the hint and led him back into the bed, following close by. He crawled under the duvet himself and began fidgeting, trying to find a comfortable position. Blaine wasn't expecting the taller boy to settle so close to him, but in any case he was overwhelmed with gratitude for the company and the extra warmth.

Smiling to himself, he quickly succumbed to sleep.


	5. White Hot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "This isn't really how Blaine had imagined getting a hold of Sam Evans' underwear."

Blaine swore he could feel the white hot sunlight threatening to wake him up. He was secretly hoping that the morning would never come and take Sam away from him. To come and force Blaine to face a new day, and he wasn't ready yet.

The sun _did_ come though. It must have because Blaine could feel the heat getting trapped under the duvet. That was the only explanation - the sun beaming through the window and about to set him ablaze. He could feel the fire in his cheeks. The sweat on his forehead and down his back. He gasped for air as the temperature began to suffocate him. His eyes were squeezed shut to block out the bright light that made his head ache.

_At least I'm not trembling anymore._

"Blaine?"

A hot whisper came over his shoulder and tickled his ear.

"Blaine, shit, wake up dude."

"Sam? Sam, close - close the curtain. Please? Please", Blaine choked, covering his eyes with two fists.

"What?"

"The sun. The… The sun - it's too hot", his voice still hoarse.

Blaine removed one of his fists from his face and began pulling at the neck of his t-shirt. He now had his fingers spread over his eyes blocking out the "light". He rolled over on to his back and frantically kicked the duvet off of him. Breathing heavily, he reached toward Sam.

Sam grabbed onto Blaine and held his hand tight.

"Bro, its only like 6:30, the sun isn't even up yet - you're just freaking out."

Sam kept holding onto Blaine as he noticed the bright red sitting high on the other boys cheeks and the beads of sweat on his head and base of his neck.

"Hey, its okay though! I think your fever broke. Relax, dude. Open your eyes. Open your eyes and look at me," Sam coaxed as he gently pulled at Blaine's wrist.

You really didn't have to tell Blaine twice to look at Sam, and this time was no different. He parted his fingers and bright eyes shot open, meeting with the blonde's.

"Hey, dude, see it's me!"

It was him. _And he's literally straddling me?_ In the early dawn light he saw Sam's goofy smile and Blaine's breathing started to level out again. Sam placed his hands against Blaine's cheeks as he did a just a few hours ago.

"Yeah, bro you're feeling better. Well maybe you aren't _feeling_ better, but you literally _feel_ better."

Sam gently squeezed Blaine's cheeks on the last phrase, emphasizing his point.

Blaine's world started to make some sense again. He was breathing somewhat normally and he recalled the night he had with Sam - how he ended up in the bed with him.

"Can you get up?"

The blonde rolled off of Blaine and sat next to him.

"Sam, I'm okay now - really, get a few more minutes of sleep. I've kept you up long enough last night."

Blaine got out most of the words in the sentence, his voice clumsily skipping over some of the vowels. The sounds he did manage to get out were deep and textured. Sam smiled at the change.

"Hey, I used to live with two younger siblings, and _then_ I lived in a motel with two younger siblings, and _now_ I live on an air mattress with Finn's snoring so - I think this night actually was pretty restful."

Blaine looked at him, he was still smiling, now sitting cross legged on the bed.

"Thank you so much, Sam. I really appreciated having you here last night."

He left out the part of how lovely it was to wake up next to him in the morning - no matter the circumstances.

"Don't mention it. But really, can you get up?"

Blaine was game to try. Anything to get out of this sweltering prison of fabric.

Sam jumped off of his side of the bed and jogged over to Blaine's. Holding his hands out he helped the still shaky ex-Warbler on to his feet.

"What a gentleman."

Sam smiled and took a dramatic bow.

"Do you think you'd be good to take a shower? I know for a fact that you'll feel better after a shower. You've been here, you know where the shower is, right? Oh, and wait where is your bag? I can grab it for you and leave it by the bathroom door-"

Blaine bit his lip and looked down at his feet. I guess he had to come clean.

"Sam, I don't actually have a bag with me." He chuckled uncomfortably and cleared his throat, "truth is I don't have anything with me. I uh, locked my phone in my car. And then I locked my keys in my house. I don't have my shoes or my coat or my wallet. I-"

Blaine felt himself tense up, a sob threatening to escape from his chest. He hadn't really thought about where he was gonna go from here. Tears nearly spilled onto Blaine's cheeks, when we was distracted by Sam who was less than gracefully jumping on to the bed and rolling over to the other side of it.

He bent over to grab something behind the unfortunately drooping air mattress. He revealed it to be an oversized duffel bag and he hastily began to rifle through it.

"I know my stuff isn't quite your style, but I think it would suit you better that an old football t-shirt and what I'm assuming are Carole's sweatpants? Here, take your pick-"

He tossed the bag onto the bed between them.

"There are socks and stuff in there too, and like don't feel weird about wearing my underwear if you want. They're clean - I swear."

This isn't really how Blaine had imagined getting a hold of Sam Evans' underwear.

He settled on a pair of olive sweatpants and a soft plain white t-shirt. And yes, he picked a pair of socks and underwear as well. He saw Sam smirk, but with the warmth and concern in his eyes, Blaine decided to let it slide.

**...**

Blaine turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up. He backed up, as an ominous feeling creeped into his stomach. He knew the bathroom mirror was just behind him. Blaine had been avoiding his reflection since his throat started to ache two days ago. He was known to have anxiety when his appearance was disheveled, and he decided that sometimes it was better not to even look. Even when he arrived at the house yesterday, and used the bathroom to change, Blaine kept his eyes closed while dampening his hair in the sink. He turned around and looked at the mirror now, knowing that the steam coming from the shower would give him a little extra time in ignorance of what he looked like. He took a breath and used his hand to wipe away a patch of the condensation.

He grimaced as he scanned his face. His, cheeks still pink from his fever, stood out against his otherwise pale skin. His eyes were puffy and red, a deep shadow hung underneath them. This shadow matched the stubble growing in across his jawline. Taking off his shirt, he noticed his collarbones, still glistening with sweat. He glanced up for a look at his insanely unruly hair before the mirror fogged up again, and honestly, Blaine was grateful that it did. He began to peel off the rest of his clothes and stepped in the shower.

He coughed a bit as he inhaled the steam, but it really did feel like heaven. He was too appreciative of this moment to let himself feel strange as he used the soaps and shampoos that weren't his own. He avoided anything that seemed to cost over $10 or had a foreign language on them because he figured that they were most likely Kurts. His sense of smell was touch and go as pressure built up in his sinuses, but he for sure did not want to smell like Kurt today. Honestly, this change in scenery and smells and company felt kind of nice. A change that was much needed.

Blaine didn't even realize he had been in a such a rut for the past three months. Okay, maybe he _definitely_ did know that he was in a rut, but he wasn't upset that he had to be forced out of it. As he massaged his scalp, he decided to literally try and wash his troubles out of his hair.

Some of Finn and Sams more masculine scents were a little much for Blaine, but in any case, he actually felt clean again. No more sticky sweat clinging to his skin and no more of the half gelled nightmare that was previously on his head. The discomfort in his chest and head were distracting him from his peaceful moment, but the fact that there was peace all? Blaine couldn't complain.

He let the water run over his sore neck and down his back for a little while longer. He watched it then swirl down the drain, almost to the point of hypnosis. Catching himself almost nodding of right there in the shower, Blaine blinked his eyes back into focus and turned the handle into the 'off' position.

After drying off he slid on Sam's underwear and sweatpants. He actually didn't feel as weird about it as you'd think. It wasn't a naughty thing, it was almost comforting. Sam literally gave him the clothes of off his back - well kind of. Blaine was constantly surprised by the blonde's ability to seem so self-obsessed, but wind up so selfless.

Another round of coughing snapped him out of his thoughts. Holding on to his chest, Blaine sat on the lid of the toilet and doubled over as the fit overcame him.

Once the coughs subsided, Blaine realized how weak he still was. Glancing over at the t-shirt that was still on the bathroom counter, he truthfully didn't think that he could lift his arms over his head to get it on. Before he could pity himself any further, Blaine heard a knock on the door.

"Hey, that cough sounded rough dude, are you okay?"

Blaine attempted to respond, but another cough escaped his chest.

"Alright, bro, I'm gonna come in-"

The blonde opened the door and stumbled in with one hand clasped firmly over his eyes and the other reached out in front of him as he tried to navigate the room.

"Sam, you can open your eyes" Blaine stated, the humidity of the room actually giving him a little of his voice back.

Blaine chuckled at the almost cartoonish scene in front of him and Sam smiled and removed his hand from his face.

"Hey! Look at you! You did so well! Nice and clean and dressed, well, almost dressed", Sam said gleefully as he snatched the t-shirt off of the counter.

Blaine looked up at him, "I can tell you're used to taking care of children"

Sam kneeled in front of where Blaine was sitting and smirked as he lifted up the shirt.

"Arms up!"

Blaine rolled his eyes, but wearily obliged. Sam pulled the soft fabric up over his head and let it fall over his torso. When his head popped though the neck of the shirt, he made eye contact with the other boy.

Just another moment where Blaine would _gladly_ kiss him - if anyone was keeping track.

He was rocked out of his thoughts when Sam grabbed the towel from the rack behind him and began to gently dry Blaine's curls.

"Thank you, Samb."

Blaine cringed at his now deep and nasal voice his voice had become, he was glad Sam didn't mention it. Putting his elbows on his knees, he bent over and placed his chin in his hands. Blaine accidentally let out a groan as Sam massaged his scalp, leaning closer into the other boy, he began to give in to his exhaustion. Soon, he was basically being supported exclusively by Sam's chest - but Sam didn't mention that either.

When Blaine's hair was no longer dripping onto his t-shirt, Sam helped him up to his feet and they made the short journey to the kitchen.


	6. Trippin'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "All he knew, was that he felt better when Sam had been waiting in the kitchen for him."

It looked like Sam had already set out a spread for Blaine - two Tylenol adorably placed in a little dish next to a plate of toast, and tea already brewing in the mug from last night.

That was it for Blaine, he couldn't take it anymore. The sick boy turned to Sam and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist. Sam, tucking his head by Blaine's neck returned the hug.

"No worries, dude", Sam said into Blaine's ear as he rubbed a hand over his back, "I actually kind of missed taking care of my brother and sister, and it's obviously not the same thing, but this makes me feel good. So, thank you."

Blaine was flabbergasted that Sam was thanking _him_.

"So, Finn and Burt left for the shop and Carole has an early shifts at work today so she's gone too, but it looks like she left you a note there on the counter" Sam muttered as he took a bite of his own toast and looked through his phone.

Blaine skimmed over the note. The opening statement was a non-arguable, underlined agreement that Blaine had to stay home from school that day - Carole had already called and taken care of it. Next, there was directions on where to find the thermometer and a request that if his temperature went over 102 degrees that he must call her and she would come home early. There was also a list of basically every food and drink that they had in the house and explicit permission for Blaine to take whatever he wanted, no questions asked. This along with more invitations to basically sleep wherever he wanted, wear any clothes he found in their dresser, and rent movies on their TV. Blaine smiled at the underlined statement to not worry about the dishes or making the bed. The bottom was a list of phone numbers that he might need including Carole's and a local Chinese restaurant that was said to have the best soup. Paper clipped to the note was a menu and a twenty dollar bill. Carole really was something else.

"I'm gonna head out, bro." Sam said slinging his backpack over his shoulder, "Do you think you'll be okay?"

Blaine looked up from the note in his hand, "yeah, I'll be finde, Samb. Thank you, again."

After clapping a hand over Blaine's shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze, Sam made his way toward the door.

Blaine took a deep breath as he settled into the silence around him. He felt a little lost - feeling as though he was just kind of floating. He had no phone, no computer, no one to talk to. He smelled different, he wasn't wearing his own clothes, he didn't have his own bed. He tried to recall his thoughts that he had in the shower. _This was still a good thing, right?_

All he knew, was that he felt better when Sam had been waiting in the kitchen for him.

Blaine finished his toast, grateful that his appetite was returning a bit, and placed the plate in the sink. Plucking a tissue from the box on the island, Blaine wiped at his nose and made his way out of kitchen. As he shuffled over toward the living room, he grabbed a blanket and the remote, turning on the TV as he settled into the corner of the couch. Blaine placed his elbow on the arm of the chair and leaned his head on his fist, tissue still in hand. His hair was still a damp from his shower, leaving him a bit chilled. He pulled the blanket tighter around him and in turn, felt his eyes become heavy. He battled to keep his head from lolling forward as he tried to decide on something to watch, but ultimately, he was unsuccessful. With the channel guide still up on the screen, Blaine had fallen asleep.

**...**

Sam pulled into the Hummel-Hudson's driveway, only about two hours after pulling out of it. He grabbed his gloves out to the center console and slid them onto his hands as he braced himself for the biting temperatures outside. Turning off the ignition, and opening the door, Sam began to see his breath puffing out in front of him. His cheeks burned at the cold as he jogged to the back of his car and pulled three paper shopping bags out of the trunk.

Gripping his keychain between his teeth, Sam less than gracefully closed the trunk with his elbow and made his way to the front door.

' _Blaine's gonna be so excited.'_

Sam almost dropped the shopping bags as his backpack slid off of his shoulder and onto his arm, but he continued to stumble his way up to the porch. You would think that a quarterback would have better coordination, right? He released the keychain held in his mouth into a free hand and pushed the key into the doorknob, nudging the door open with his knee. Sam tried his best to be silent as he crossed the threshold, assuming Blaine had fallen asleep again. He had looked exhausted since the moment he opened his eyes this morning.

The plan had been going rather well as Sam greeted the warm air inside the house. He pushed the door carefully closed with his foot until it made a soft click. Sam could hear soft snores coming from the living room - the plan was successful. That is until the blonde miscalculated where the indoor doormat was and fully tripped over it. Everything hit the wooden floor- the bags, the backpack, the keys and unfortunately - Sam himself. The volume of the crash was almost unreal as Sam let out a yelp.

"Shit, ow!"

Blaine couldn't even recall if he was dreaming, he was pulled out of his sleep so abruptly. The violent noises of metal hitting the ground, and a loud thump to follow, ' _and a cry for help_?'

Blaine tossed his blanket to the side, getting a bit tangled in it as he jumped to his feet. The floor seemed to tilt under him as he tried to find his balance, his heavy sinuses making it hard to see straight. He gripped the bridge of his nose. His chest tightened as he gasped, his raw throat not letting out a sound, and he coughed a bit trying to catch his breath. He clutched the back of the couch with one hand as he let his knees fall back onto the cushions. His other hand was over his heart as he hoped it would soon stop racing.

Blaine's eyes focused over to ground zero. Various boxes and bottles and packages were scattered about and a lone can of soup rolled across the floor. Amidst the chaos, was a blonde teenager, still clad in a winter coat and gloves, holding on to his mouth.

Blaine's mind switched from panic to concern as he realized that the intruder was Sam. As his coughing died down, he was able to shift onto his feet and stumble to the other boy's side. Kneeling next to him, Blaine gripped his shoulders and moved him into a sitting position. Taking a hold of his wrist and pulling it away from his mouth, Blaine got a better view of the damage.

"I'm so sorry, the one thing - I was trying to do was not wake - you up"

Wincing between every few words, Sam could taste copper.

"It's okay buddy, oh god- wait here, please"

Blaine stood up, swaying a bit again, he shivered a bit at the frigid air that was let in by Sam, and padded to the kitchen. He swiftly wet a rag in the sink and grabbed a bag of frozen peas out of the freezer along with a bottle of water from the fridge. It made his hands even colder and the chill stayed right there in his spine, but it was okay - because Sam needed his help now.

Sam was now sitting slumped and cross legged on the floor. He had removed his gloves and was half heartedly beginning to wrangle the items back into the grocery bags. Blaine kneeled again and placed his finger under Sam's chin, tipping his head up to look at him.

' _Blood or not, I could look at this face all day.'_

Blaine had deduced that Sam hit his teeth into the back of his bottom lip when he hit the floor. Half of his lower lip was beginning to swell and turn a mottled medley of blue purple and red. Sam loosened his jaw, parting his lips and a small amount of bright red blood began to leak down his chin. Blaine saw his stained teeth as he pulled one corner of his mouth up into a dazed smile.

"Hey, Blaine."

Blaine gave Sam a pitying smile and dabbed the blood away with the cloth.

"Hey, Samb."

He then handed him the water. Sam tried to take a sip, but jumped in pain as the cold water hit his injury. Blaine cupped the bottom of the bottle as Sam still held on to the middle and positioned the opening above the unscathed part of his lip. He tipped the bottle up to help the other boy drink.

Blaine caught himself staring again.

"Here-", Blaine focused himself and gently tossed the bag of frozen vegetables into Sam's hands, "Let me help you up and then hold this to your lip so the swelling goes down."

Sam grimaced

"Swelling? Dude, I don't need my lips to be any bigger than they already are."

Blaine chuckled hoarsely and tried his best to help Sam up from the floor. The blonde already had shaken off his unbalance and wound up helping the still unsteady Blaine more than the other way around.

While holding the bag to his face, Sam gathered that last few things that were strewn across the floor - Blaine contributed by grabbing the rogue soup can that made it almost to the hallway at this point. He placed it on the kitchen counter and plucked two tissues out of the box next to it, sneezing twice into them.

"Bless y-"

Blaine held up his finger toward Sam, eyes closed. He let out a third before lowering it. Sam smiled a soft and crooked as he saw Blaine's unsettled curls bounce forward with each sneeze. _He really liked his hair like this_? Pulling his eyes away and clearing his throat he turned toward the door.

" _Now_ , bless you- and um, I'm really sorry again, for scaring you", Sam stated apologetically as he adjusted the position of the doormat with his foot. He began to remove his boots and coat, comically holding the peas between his shoulder and his face.

"Thangks - and it's really okay - I'mb sorry you got hurt. And either way, I probably shouldn't be sleeping this much anyway, I mean - Shit- what timbe is it? Have I really been asleep all day?"

Blaine looked at the clock that was on the oven 11:02AM.

"Eleve- Samb, why aren't you at school? It's Thursday right? You were headed to school this morning?"

Blaine clearly was not fully awake yet. Sam chuckled.

"I _did_ go to school - to borrow $10 from everyone in Glee Club so I could buy you all this stuff- and then skip class" Sam's answer muffled behind the bag of frozen peas as he made his way to the kitchen.

"All this-?"

Sam began laying out his purchases on the island - Blaine's favorite cookies, the soup, cold medicine, cough drops, and _oh my god, hair gel_.

"Samb, you-"

"Wait, this is the best part!"

Sam dropped the peas onto the counter, his newly swollen lip giving him an endearing lisp. He grabbed his backpack that was tossed over by the couch.

"I didn't know your exact size in everything, but it's just comfortable stuff, so I think it'll be okay and you can still use mine if you want-"

He pulled out two pairs of sweats, a fleece crewneck, a pack of t-shirts, a pack of socks, and a pack of underwear from the bag.

"Sa-"

"Wait, hold on, where is it? Ah-!"

He then pulled another T-shirt, gray and folded small, out of the front pocket of the backpack. Sam held the shoulders and let the shirt fall open revealing a purposely faded X-Men logo.

Blaine sniffled, "Samb, I'm obsessed with that"

"Right!? I saw it and - ow, I had to get it for you."

Sam had accidentally bitten his lip in his excitement. Blaine was speechless. He felt a tear slip as he failed to blink them away in time. Blaine tried to swiftly wipe it away with his tissue before Sam noticed.

But, Sam _did_ notice. He didn't mention it though - he just gave another crooked black and blue smile.


	7. How This Conversation Ends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Blaine, dude, I try not to think too much. People say I'm not good at thinking. I know what they mean, but it honestly does helps sometimes to just go with the flow - and to be honest a lot of things seem to be flowing to you lately."

After taking his new "feel-better" arsenal into Finn's room and pulling off the goofy smile tugging at his lips, Blaine met Sam back in the kitchen. The blonde was less than gracefully shoving the bag of frozen peas back in to the freezer. He caught his gaze with the shorter boy over the top of the freezer door and Blaine saw his eyes crinkle, suggesting a smile.

Blaine was right. As Sam closed the freezer, he revealed his smile - as bright as ever, despite his injury. Blaine liked that Sam smiled at him a lot. Partly because Sam is admittedly gorgeous, but mostly because when Sam smiles at him, something in Blaine makes him smile back. Even in the times when it hurts to smile - when he's sick or sad, or tired or frustrated - he always feels better afterwards. And, this time was no different.

"Hey, If your down we can call that Chinese place and get that soup Carole suggested? She got it for me the last time I was sick and she isn't lying - its the best."

"Yeah, thats finde with mbe"

Sam smirked and at the shorter boys congested voice and pushed the box of tissues toward him as he looked down at the Chinese food menu.

"Ugh, thangk you. I'mb sorry I'mb so disgusting. Feel free to hang far away fromb mbe if you plan ond staying hombe"

Sam stayed oddly silent and just looked down and smiled again. This time he chuckled a bit.

"What? I'mb serious", Blaine responded, wiping at his nose.

 _'I never want to be far away from you'._ Sam thought.

"Nothing, sorry. I spaced out for a little bit there. "Uh, I'm thinking two pints of soup and some dumplings, huh?" Sam chuckled again and pulled out his phone.

"Perfect."

**….**

Even though adding hot sauce to the soup may have had Blaine coughing after each sip, it made his head feel so much better. He and Sam had camped out on the couch watching daytime TV, gameshows, and cooking shows. Somewhere in the middle of "The Price is Right" and "Chopped", their legs became entangled with one another. After an episode of "Four Weddings", Blaine's hand may have slipped into Sam's, and sometime during the second half of the "Mama Mia!" movie, Blaine was leaning against Sam's chest with his arms around him. Just like wearing Sam's clothes, didn't feel weird - it was comforting. Honestly, human touch hadn't felt this nice for either of them in quite a while. Blaine was trying to stifle any kind of reaction though - the last thing he wanted to do was Scare Sam off. Blaine know he had a bit of a record for being "too much" sometimes, and thats why most of his energy nowadays went into being "just enough". It was exhausting.

They had plans on watching another movie after they finished eating. Blaine now found himself in the bathroom again cleaning out what remained in his sinuses. He looked in the mirror again. His muscles seemed to still hang heavy on his face and he eyes where red and teary from the nose blowing. He splashed some cold water on his face and dried off with his towel from earlier that day, as it still hung over the shower rod. ' _How am I so tired again? All I did was eat soup and watch TV?'_

Blaine was startled by a knock on the door.

"Hey, you alright in there?"

"Yes, momb."

Sam chuckled on the other side as Blaine opened the door.

"Still down for that movie? And no worries if you fall asleep - I've heard my shoulder is pretty comfortable."

' _Did I take one too many cold tablets or is Sam Evans flirting with me? And that cuddling? This is one weird misunderstanding.'_

"Blaine?"

"Uh, yes, sorry! A movie sounds great - but yeah, I probably will fall asleep and- "

Blaine continued to stammer and he felt heat rise in his cheeks. He wasn't sure he could blame this on a fever though. As his breathing increased a tickle grew in his nose and his breath began to hitch. Blaine quickly stepped back into the bathroom and shut the door in the other boy's face.

Sam flinched as the wood almost touched his nose. He heard three painful sneezes come from the other side.

"Bless you, dude! Hey, no worries if your feeling bad still - you can just nap in the bed, and I can come with you if-"

Sam stopped himself, and gently placed his hand and leaned his forehead on the door that separated them. ' _Just be real, dude.'_

"Hey Blaine, I'm really sorry If I'm being too much today. I just - this is kind of hard for me and I don't really know what I'm doing-"

Blaine furrowed his brows. _He doesn't know what he's doing? He said he takes care of his brother and sister all the time. He knew exactly what to do, exactly what to buy-_

"When your all done in there, can we talk about something? Meet me in Finn's room? Please, dude, take your time though. I'm sorry I'm being weird."

' _I just have been wanting to kiss you for the past day and I haven't figured out how.'_

Blaine wiped his nose again and put more cold water to his face trying to calm down. Tears pricked at his eyes as he fought off more anxiety. In those thirty seconds between Sam saying his last statement and now, Blaine had convinced himself that _he_ was the one acting weird. Sam had caught him staring, right? He had thought the cuddling was weird, right? He wanted to talk to him about boundaries, and Blaine could understand that. Sam was straight and just trying to be nice and Blaine had taken it to far. That _had_ to be it.

Blaine wiped at his eyes, tears forming from more that just his irritated nose this time. He sniffled and made his way to Finn's room.

**...**

Sam was sitting cross legged on the bed, much like he was that morning, but this time he sported a bruised and nervous grin. Blaine tried to swallow the lump that formed in his still sore throat. He climbed on the bed and sat on his knees in front of Sam, resting his hands on his thighs. He opened his mouth to speak, not even sure what to say, when he was interrupted by a small sob escaping the lips of the boy in front if him.

Sam's eyes twinkled with moisture and he dropped his shoulders in defeat. Swiftly, Blaine scooted closer to him and pulled him close to his chest, cradling the taller boys head and smoothing his hair. Sam quietly cried as he reached up to grip the fabric of his own white t-shirt that Blaine was currently wearing.

After a moment, Sam stiffened and looked Blaine in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine - I shouldn't do this to you now. You're sick and you still don't look good and you were saying you were tired and-"

"Samb, please. I'mb here for you, please tell me what's wrong. You can tell me anything, you know that."

' _Tell me, I won't be offended.'_

Sam sniffled. "I know. God, I know its just- I don't really know how I planned on having this conversation? I only know how I wanted it to end, and you're sick, so you probably don't want to-"

"Samb, what does being sick have to do with anything? You won't hurt my feelings, just say what you need to say."

"Hurt you? No, no Blaine. I don't want to hurt you - I… I want to - kiss you? Thats how this conversation ends- I kiss you."

Blaine looked at Sam, dumbfounded.

"Kiss me? But I-"

"You're sick- I know! I know you would get so mad at me if I kissed you while you were sick!"

"Samb, sick? No- Samb, I'mb a boy! I'mb a boy, and I thought-"

Sam chuckled and wiped tears from his eyes again. His smile while he cried was the most beautiful contradiction that Blaine had ever seen.

"Blaine, dude, I try not to think too much. People say I'm not good at thinking. I know what they mean, but it honestly _does_ helps sometimes to just go with the flow - and to be honest a lot of things seem to be flowing to you lately."

"Samb, that's beautiful, but I still don't think I understand."

"When I go to class, I want you be there. I get weirdly excited about _studying_ because I know that we'll go the library and you're gonna help me through it. When I go to lunch, I want to sit next to you and hear you complain about the texture of certain grapes! In glee, I want you to sing every single goddamn song with me! Yesterday, when I came home and heard that you were here - that was the best! Because lately, when I come home, I wish I was coming home to you."

"Yeah… we're friends"

"Blaine, I told you, I'm not over thinking it, and you shouldn't either. I'm still thinking about holding your hand, and shit, I didn't wan't "Mama Mia!" to end because I wanted to keep on holding you! I want to kiss you all the time, Blaine! If thats friends to you, then yeah, we're friends."

Even if Blaine had any words for this, they would have gotten caught in his throat. He had piles of things he had wanted to say to Sam stuck in there, unable to be muttered.

"I'm not dumb in _every way_ , Blaine, only a few. I'm smart enough to know that look though - the one where you'd _gladly_ kiss someone? Last night when the teapot woke me up and we got to talking? This morning, when I was helping you dry your hair and get your shirt on? And before, even with my mouth all bloody after falling? Just know - I wanted to, too."

Blaine, lightheaded from this revelation and his lingering illness, rose on to his knees and put his arms out. Holding Sam's head in his hands he leaned over and kissed his forehead, using his thumbs to wipe away the tear tracks on Sam's cheeks. Sam responded by wapping his arms around Blaine's small waist and pulling him on to his lap. He tucked his head into the curly haired boy's neck as he usually did during their embraces and let out a contended sigh. He lifted his lips to brush over Blaine's ear.

"Let me want _you,_ Blaine."

Blaine pulled his head back to meet the blonde's eyes.

"Samb Evans, you are not dumb, and just you wait until I'mb feeling better - I'mb never going to stop kissing you."

Blaine touched the other boys cheek.

"I say we both have permission to want this. No matter our past, or preconceived notions about what our future should be. I also say lets take that nap now - I've heard your shoulder is quite comfortable."

After switching off the lights and closing the curtain, Sam tossed Blaine the box of tissues for the bathroom. He climbed into the bed, next to the shorter boy and held him close. Sam smiled into the back of Blaine's shoulder. And, although his eyes were already closed, something in Blaine knew to smile back.


End file.
